By Rikki Schlott and Greg Lukianoff - November 7, 2023
The First Amendment wasn’t created to protect the interests of the rich and powerful. After all, the moneyed and influential have historically been protected by their wealth and power. And the United States didn’t need a special right to protect the will of a majority—that’s what democratic votes are for.
In the end, the First Amendment is primarily needed to protect minority views, unpopular opinions, and the expression of those who clash with the ruling elite.
But on campus today, you’re likely to hear this argument turned entirely on its head—as if championing free speech is somehow doing the bidding of the powerful. But that’s only because academia doesn’t like to admit that it actually is extremely wealthy and influential itself, or that those who defend the status quo are defending an extraordinarily powerful American industry.
By David Swindle - November 7, 2023
Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, died from injuries sustained in “an altercation” at about 3:20 p.m. on Monday in the greater Los Angeles area. At the time, there were simultaneous “pro-Israeli” and “pro-Palestinian” events at the same intersection, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
By Rohan Goswami - November 7, 2023
Office-sharing company WeWork filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey federal court Monday, saying that it had entered into agreements with the vast majority of its secured note holders and that it intended to trim "non-operational" leases.
The bankruptcy filing is limited to WeWork's locations in the U.S. and Canada, the company said in a press release. WeWork reported liabilities ranging from $10 billion to $50 billion, according to an initial filing.
WeWork has suffered one of the most spectacular corporate collapses in recent U.S. history over the past few years. Valued in 2019 at $47 billion in a round led by Masayoshi Son's SoftBank, the company tried and failed to go public five years ago.
By A.G. Gancarski - November 7, 2023
3 out of 5 Florida Republicans back Trump over the state's Governor, according to the UNF survey.
Gov. Ron DeSantis scored a coup in Iowa Monday night, picking up Gov. Kim Reynolds‘ endorsement. But a new poll points to trouble at home.
The University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab shows the Governor trailing former President Donald Trump by nearly 40 points. Trump has 60% support while DeSantis has just 21% backing.
“Despite historically high approval in the polls, Governor DeSantis losing steam in his home state doesn’t bode well for his national campaign,” commented Dr. Michael Binder, PORL faculty director and professor of political science.
Other candidates are just footnotes: Nikki Haley is in third with 6%, followed by Chris Christie with 2%, and Vivek Ramaswamy with 1%.
By Sasha Stone - November 7, 2023
Ron DeSantis has every quality a presidential candidate needs - good looks, youth, a nice family, and a strong governance track record in Florida. What he doesn’t have, however, is more charisma than his chief rival, Donald Trump.
To be fair, not many candidates, or people for that matter, have as much charisma as Trump does. It’s a once-in-a-generation thing that defies explanation. It’s just there. Even those who hate him can’t stop watching him. It’s not his looks, particularly, or his speeches — it’s the X-factor you can’t buy or attain. You have to be born with it.
In case you’re wondering why “Boot Gate” and other trivial stories about “Rob DeSanctus” have landed, it’s simply that he has a slight charisma deficit, which means it’s not exactly water off a duck’s back. It sticks and threatens to become the only thing people think about when they picture him in their minds.